Culture

Dispatches

Died

At least 44 people are dead and hundreds missing after an overcrowded tourist boat capsized on Lake Victoria, Tanzania. There is no accurate passenger manifest, according to local media, meaning the total number of passengers involved could be anywhere between 400 and 500 people. The ferry sank between two islands on the lake, and rescuers managed to pick up 37 people from the waves before they were forced to leave the area for the day due to poor visibility. Tanzania has notoriously overcrowded their tourist boats: In 2011, a ferry carrying more than 1,000 passengers, despite an official capacity of 620, sank due to strong winds, killing 200 people.

The scene of the attack on a military parade in Ahvaz, Iran
(Morteza Jaberian/AFP/Getty Images)

Attacked

Gunmen attacked a military parade in Ahvaz, Iran, killing at least 25 people and wounding at least 60, according to the state-run IRNA news agency. Arab separatists claimed responsibility for the attack. The Iranian government said Arab countries in the region and the United States funded the attackers. The U.S. State Department denounced the attacks: “The United States condemns all acts of terrorism and the loss of any innocent lives.” IRNA reported that the attackers wore military uniforms and appeared to target military and police commanders.

Xinhua Xinhua News Agency/Newscom

Found

Drainage workers in an ancient Egyptian temple uncovered a new sphinx while working to lower groundwater levels. Egypt’s Ministry of Antiquities reported the find on its Facebook page, saying the discovery was in the southern city of Aswan, in Kom Ombo temple. Antiquities expert Mostafa Waziri told CNN the piece dates from the Ptolemaic era or 300-30 b.c. Images of the find posted online show the classic half-lion, half-human sphinx wearing a snake crown and headdress. It appears to be in nearly perfect condition.

Handout

Challenged

An Alaskan Christian women’s shelter is challenging a city anti-discrimination law that forces it to accept transgender women into the facility. The Hope Center is under investigation by the Anchorage Equal Rights Commission after the shelter twice denied services to a man claiming to be a transgender woman, who then filed a complaint. In response, the center has brought a federal suit claiming the city’s requirement violates its religious beliefs and would be dangerous for the women it shelters, many of whom have been victims of male violence. The center, backed by the Alliance Defending Freedom, is asking for the commission to end its investigation and leave it alone.

Screen capture from video
(Smash Racism DC)

Heckled

Protesters shouted at U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and his wife at a restaurant in Washington, D.C., forcing the couple to leave the restaurant early. A group called “Smash Racism DC” posted two videos of the incident on Twitter. The protesters chanted, “We believe survivors!” and called on Cruz to vote against the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Cruz’s opponent in the November election for his Senate seat, U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke, D-Texas, condemned the protest on Twitter: “The Cruz family should be treated with respect.” Cruz and his wife reportedly later returned to the restaurant to thank employees for helping them, and they received their meal.

Comments

Laura W

Posted: Tue, 10/02/2018 05:03 am

That photo of the shelter beds says it all. What woman would be okay with a strange male body that close to her while she sleeps, whatever the person with that body may claim about gender identity?